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Canada more ‘frank’ than rest of world on climate change: Harper

Prime Minister Stephen Harper (right) and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott(left) make their way to a joint conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Monday June 9 2014.Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand

“It’s important that every country should take the action that it thinks is best to reduce emissions, because we should rest lightly on the planet.”

Abbott added he is “encouraged” by regulations introduced in the United States last week to chop carbon emissions from U.S. power plants by 30 per cent by 2030.

Harper says Canada has actually done more to lower carbon emissions in its electricity sector than the U.S.

“The measures outlined by President Obama, as important as they are, do not go nearly as far in the electricity sector as the actions Canada has already taken ahead of the United States in that particular sector,” he said.

American approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, designed to move Alberta crude to the Gulf Coast, has been stalled in the U.S. while the Obama administration drops hints that Canada must do more on the environment.